Beaumont man killed at Houston airport had 'monster inside'

Brian Roger, Beaumont Enterprise

By Brian Rogers, Cindy George, Mike Glenn and Robert Stanton

Updated 8:15 pm, Thursday, May 2, 2013

Police work in the passenger pickup exit area after a shooting near a ticket counter in the pre-screening area of Terminal B at Bush Intercontinental Airport Thursday, May 2, 2013, in Houston. ( Melissa Phillip / Houston Chronicle
Photo: CHRON, Staff

Police work in the passenger pickup exit area after a shooting near...

A Houston Police officer carries a piece of luggage from the ticket area of Terminal B after a shooting near a ticket counter in the pre-screening area of Terminal B at Bush Intercontinental Airport Thursday, May 2, 2013, in Houston. ( Melissa Phillip / Houston Chronicle )
Photo: HCHRON, Staff

A Houston Police officer carries a piece of luggage from the ticket...

Police stand at the bottom of the escalators after a shooting occurred in the lobby of terminal B at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Thursday, May 2, 2013, in Houston. (Cody Duty / Houston Chronicle)
Photo: CHRON, Staff

Police stand at the bottom of the escalators after a shooting...

Neighbors say authorities raided the home of Carnell Marcus Moore Thursday in connection with the Houston International Airport shooting, during which Moore was killed after firing an assault rifle in the airport. Moore lived in the 2500 block of Magnolia Street in Beaumont.
Photo taken Thursday, May 2, 2013
Guiseppe Barranco/The Enterprise
Photo: B

The man, identified as Carnell Marcus Moore, 29, of Beaumont, was killed in the shooting about 1:35 p.m. at Terminal B, police said.

Homicide investigators with the Houston Police Department recovered a note that appears to be a suicide note. In it, Moore said that he was having trouble controlling his "monster inside."

Moore's Magnolia Street neighbors described him as quiet and reserved.

HPD spokeswoman Kese Smith said an armed male in his early 30s entered the airport and fired a shot into the ceiling near a ticket counter in the pre-screening area of the terminal.

Hearing the shot, a Homeland Security investigations agent came out of his office and confronted the man, ordering him to put down the gun, Smith said.

When the man refused the command, the officer pulled out his weapon and the man turned toward him, Smith said.

The agent fired once, and the man shot himself in the head apparently at the same time, Smith said. He died at the scene.

It was unclear if the officer shot the man, or what kind of weapon the man was carrying.

The agent was taken to the hospital for precautionary measures.

Investigators were searching a white pickup parked at the airport that possibly belonged to the gunman. The vehicle's hood was up and the area cordoned off as police checked out the vehicle.

Marietta Kidd, owner of Anointed Hands beauty salon on Magnolia Street in Beaumont, said she saw seven unmarked cars in her beauty shop parking lot around the same time school let out today.

She said authorities could be seen coming out of Moore's duplex carrying computer equipment.

Tina Gellinger, a 40-year-old Kansan who went outside between flights was coming in to Terminal B when she heard shouts to "Run!" She and others ran toward elevators and hid behind walls as shots rang out.

Nearby at the McDonald's in the food court, employee Tiffany Rigmaiden, 23, heard two shots ring out, then shouting, then three shots. She said a TSA agent running by told her and other employees to get down. The employees escaped through a back door and took an elevator to a lower floor.

"Shooting incident at IAH under control," she tweeted. "Police acted swiftly. System in place worked. Glad no other injuries. Airport open, check @iah.-A."

The airline also has a special waiver for those who wish to make same-day flight changes on Thursday for travel within 24 hours of scheduled departure. For all other changes, the fee will be waived but a difference in fare may apply.

Dohm advises passengers to speak with reservation agents to work on their tickets.